Thinking the Unthinkable about Video Ads
Posted on September 18, 2009
Phil Leigh
What if sponsors paid for video ads only when they are actually watched?
As John Wanamaker put it long ago, “I know that half of my advertising is wasted, I just don’t know which half.”
For over half-a-Century Nielsen audience rating have supposedly addressed Wanamaker’s question for television ads. It’s the foundation supporting a $70 billion annual business. It’s supposed to tell advertisers which programs viewers are watching and for how long. Given present computer technology it’s downright stunning when one learns Nielsen’s techniques for collecting its data.
With so much money on the table there’s a lot at stake. Some industry constituents want to update the measurement technology while others want no changes at all. Any changes are likely to upset somebody’s apple cart. That’s probably why progress in measurement methodology has moved at the pace of continental drift. Nonetheless, sponsors pay the bills and ultimately they’re going to demand more for their money. Read more…
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